Arcana Coelestia #30
30. Verses 14-17 And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to make a distinction between the day and the night; and they will be for signs, and for set times, and for days and years. And they will be for lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to have dominion over the day, and the lesser light to have dominion over the night; and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.
No one can have an adequate understanding of what 'the great lights' are unless he knows what the underlying essence of faith is and how it develops in people who are being created anew. The very essence and life of faith is the Lord alone. In fact it is impossible for anyone who does not believe in the Lord to have life, as He Himself has said in John,
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God will rest upon him. John 3:36.
[2] With people who are being created anew faith develops as follows: First of all they have no life, for life does not exist in anything evil and false but in what is good and true. Then they start to receive life from the Lord by means of faith - first by faith existing in the memory, which is factual faith, then by faith existing in the understanding, which is conceptual faith, and after this by faith existing in the heart, which is loving or saving faith. Factual faith and conceptual faith are represented in verses 3-13 by the inanimate, but faith made alive by means of love is represented in verses 20-25 by the animate. Consequently this is the first point at which love and faith deriving from it, which are called 'lights', are dealt with. Love is 'the greater light which has dominion over the day', and faith deriving from love is 'the lesser light which has dominion over the night'. And because they ought to make one the verb in the phrase 'let there be lights 'is singular and not plural.
[3] Love and faith have their place in the internal man as warmth and light do in the external, bodily man, and for this reason love and faith are represented by warmth and light. Therefore it is said that 'the lights' were set in the expanse of the heavens, that is, in the internal man - the greater light in his will and the lesser in his understanding. Yet they make their appearances in the will and understanding only as sunlight does in the objects it strikes. To the Lord alone belongs the mercy which moves the will with love and the understanding with truth or faith.
Colossians 3
1
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6
For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
18
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
20
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
21
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
22
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
23
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
25
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
